Wedding dress shopping tips from plus size blogger Callie Thorpe

Being a plus size woman and navigating the world is tough enough but especially when planning a wedding.

What should be a day to celebrate love ends up being sold as ‘how to look your best’ which is completely fine, except when your size restricts you from being able to find something that makes you feel special.

Some of the most enjoyable parts of wedding planning can be really awful for plus size women. Finding shops that stock dresses in your size is harder and this can make for really upsetting experiences in bridal boutiques. All women deserve to feel beautiful and special on their day which is why I decided to share my photos of my wedding day on social media.

I wanted women like me to know that they don’t have to lose weight to feel beautiful or loved that they should wear whatever style of dress they want, regardless of whether articles in wedding magazines suggest otherwise.

Being visible and showing my body in a tight fitting dress was a statement to the wedding industry to catch up and start catering for a diverse range of bodies in their magazines, blogs and bridal shops.

Love is love and that’s what really matters, not what size clothes you wear. So I urge women to feel brave and not to force themselves into strict diet regimes that make them feel sad just for one day. Embrace who you are because that’s why your partner is marrying you in the first place.

My favourite places to look for inspiration were wedding blog Instagram pages: Rock my wedding, Rock and Roll Bride, Love my dress. I also loved Pretty Pear Bride which was a plus size specific blog and there was lots of inspiration there. Searching hashtags/ terms like 'plussizebride' or 'plussizebridal' can also be really useful.

The offering for plus size wedding dresses is pretty dire in comparison to other bridal offerings. David Bridal was where I got my dress and they had a really great selection of designer dresses in different styles. ASOS curve also has a small but beautiful collection of dresses which offer a lower price point but a stylish edge. In fact, on the evening of my wedding I changed into a beautiful lace cropped top, white floor length dress from ASOS and it was so affordable. Simply Be and Modcloth a US brand also have a small collection which is really lovely.

Plus size brides should look at a wide variety of styles. There was a a particular style I thought I wanted but when I tried it on it just didn't work for me. Keep an open mind and try all sorts of styles and price ranges on, just because something is cheaper doesn't mean it isn't going to look good.

I don't believe in putting plus size women in certain styles or shapes. So often stylists like to describe bodies like fruit and encourage some styles over others which I personally don't agree with. It's your wedding day so you should wear something that makes you feel comfortable and beautiful and whatever that shape is wear it. My dress was a v-neck lace trumpet style dress which went out at the hips. I read tons of articles that said that my body shape would not look good in that style but I didn't care because I felt beautiful. I do however recommend getting a good seamstress, you do not want an ill-fitting dress; whether too big or too small, good fit is really important.

I found my dream dress in David's Bridal. They invited me to try on some dresses and I chose six styles in total. By dress three I knew I had found the one. I still kept trying the others but it was that one dress that gave me all the feels. Myself and all my friends were crying when I put it on with the veil and I honestly never felt more beautiful.

It’s much harder as a plus size woman to find - and try on - dresses. When I first started looking I called a few boutiques in London and they told me that the largest plus size dress they stocked in their shop was a sample size 18, which would not fit me. The only way I could actually see how a dress would suit me was if they were to pin it to me and I would have to imagine how it would look on, which I think is just awful. It is meant to be a special time of happiness and excitement but unfortunately for a lot of plus size women this just isn't the case. Thankfully I got the experience I felt I deserved in the end but I just don't think it should be that hard.

My advice would be to take lots of photos in the dress, from all different angles. Move around a lot to get a feel of how comfortable the dress feels and even how it moves. I also think it's important to not take on too many opinions from others, only you know how you feel in something. Your taste might not be that of your friends or your mother or in laws but that's okay because this is your day and what you want is most important.